Try to Remember
by courante
Summary: Doctor 7 & Mel have to figure out why there's a lake where the desert should be. 12 Chapters, plot heavy, flash fiction format. Hope you enjoy!
1. Boats, not Sand

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

"A boat?" asked Mel, looking at a screen which obscured a concrete wall. Her finger traced golden boat, golden waves, golden drake. Louder, she said, "Harvis was a dry planet."

The Doctor stared at the royal insignia framed on another wall. "I don't think we're on Harvis," he answered, his brow wrinkled.

A uniformed person entered. He handcuffed the doctor and Mel, each to either side of a bench. Explaining neither boat, water, insignia, nor cuffs, he left. Mel asked, as if uninterrupted, "Why not?"

"They like me on Harvis," said the doctor, transfixed by the sight of the handcuff.


	2. Devolve the Kingdom

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

"Nuts, nuts, more nuts" cried the ruler of Harvis, his body quivering, his voice mounting in volume until he ran out of air. He breathed. "I demanded berries! Where is the cook!"

The captain of the guard saluted and proceeded. The guard had captured the visitor known as doctor earlier, so now the captain had a plan. The Doctor would cure the uncontrolled insanity. It had come with this new water that also brought berries and oceans.

It brought the feast and the din in the banquet hall; it nourished, it remade, it infected; everyone had forgotten everything; situation grave.


	3. No

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

Kielif, captain of the guard, introduced himself formally to the now unlocked Doctor and Mel. He explained alot but not well.

"So why _did_ you imprison us?" asked Mel, again.

"Yes, that's what I'm saying," said the Doctor, "we've been treated abysmally."

"Hospitality would result in infection," replied Kielif. "Will you help us?"

"What?" asked the Doctor, now paying attention.

"Find a cure for memory plague," answered Kielif smoothly, waving. A soldier held out a glass of water to Mel.

"Will you study the water which eats memory before or after she drinks?" the captain asked. Mel closed her mouth.


	4. Tricks

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

"Is that a body in the water?" asked the doctor.

No one was distracted.

"Hey!" yelled Mel, shoving a soldier.

He shifted. The water, though, sloshed.

Mel noticed this, and grabbed the glass.

"No!" cried the doctor.

She threw water around the room. While the soldiers ducked the pair ran.

And when the door closed, the soldiers stood up. Kielif activated a monitor.

"You attached the transmitter?" he asked.

"Yes sir," replied a soldier.

"Go solve my problem, Doctor," murmured the Captain of the Guard. He left, and one thirsty soldier licked the drips of water off his own skin.


	5. A Choice

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

"What are you doing?" asked Mel.

"Thinking," replied the doctor, who had stopped to think.

"Why aren't they following?" she then asked, realizing they were not followed.

"They let us go," said the doctor. "Let's go see the politicians," he said, beginning to walk toward the sound of voices.

Mel stood there, looking toward a stair, a hall, windows, doors, more stairs, and the outside.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I wanted to see sea drakes," she replied. "And to see if there is a planet wide poisoning," she continued.

"Hmmm," said the doctor, now following Mel out.


	6. Steps Under Water

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

The pair crossed through halls carved, ornamented, gleaming. Voices were behind, silence ahead: these rooms were deserted.

Mel and the Doctor approached and opened massive doors. They stopped atop stairs leading into a dark lake. An old man sat there, fishing. The lake sat there, lapping. The sun shown down, sunning.

"Not my fault," said the fisher.

"What?" asked Mel.

"Not water," said the fisher.

"What is it?" asked the Doctor, crouching down and holding out a small humming device over the water.

"Vera," said the fisher.

Mel wanted answers. "Do you know Kielif?" she asked.

"That rat," he growled.


	7. Answers

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

"Raaat" echoed the lake.

"Why so?" asked Mel.

"He brought the water; there was no warning," said the fisher.

"Murderous kidnapper thief," said the lake.

"You're alive," said the doctor.

"I was king, not president.Handsome, ornamental, and safe," said the fisher.

"Killing me, nasty dry desert. Chopping of my parts, thieving drinkers," said the lake.

"It's a nice desert," said the king.

"No fissssssssssh," said the lake.

The king nodded.

"So why fish?" asked Mel.

"The lake said it would be fun," replied the king.

"It is fun," said the lake.

"True," said the king.

"Why are people loosing memories?" she asked next.

"Side effect of the toxin produced when the being dies," answered the Doctor.

"Have you lost memories?" asked Mel of the King.

"I don't know. Ask me something I should remember," he replied.

"Have you drunk the water?" she asked.

"I remember that," he answered.

"Where is home?" asked the doctor.

"Aline," said both fisher and lake.

"I'll try to get you home," said the Doctor. Then he asked to borrow the king's communicator.


	8. Deal

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

The interstellar agents answered the hail. They ordered that they would take the Vera (a species name) home and arrest the kidnappers.

The lake, happy, invited the doctor and Mel to visit. "Come visit!" it said. "And you come and stay!" it said to the king.

"Is there water?" asked the fisher.

"Lakes and swamps!" 

"Fish, too?"

"Yesssssssssssssssssssss" said the Vera.

"Do you want to go?" asked Mel.

"The Vera's my friend," answered the fisher.

"And those people?" she prompted, pointing at the building.

"You're joking," he replied.

"Your duties?" asked the doctor.

"Anyone can work in advertising," he answered.


	9. Absolutes

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

"I don't like this plan" said Mel. They sat, waiting, on the bench where they had started. "The agents will investigate," she added.

"Someone needs to cure these people," said the Doctor.

Captain of the Guard Kielif entered, with guards.

"Did you drink the water?" Mel asked him.

"Of course he didn't," answered the Doctor. "I'll need to examine infected people and a chemistry lab."

"Do it," said the Kielif. A soldier saluted and left.

"I need some assurance that the cure is distributed in a fair way, and to everyone," added the doctor.

"Absolutely," said the Captain.


	10. Solutions

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

Mel asked questions of both the guards and patients. It was the guards who could remember things, such as when the water arrived, and when they received orders to eat and drink only from their rations.

Suddenly, a patient remembered something: "The water tasted funny at first," she said.

The doctor emerged, formula in one hand, large bulky tank dragging from the other.

"I have the cure!" he said. "Take us to your president!"

"I have orders to take you to Captain Kielif," said the guard.

"He's with the president right now," said another guard.

"Problem solved," said the Doctor.


	11. Making Memories

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

In the throne room, the din of noise had shifted from chaos to confusion. The Captain of the Guard, the President, politicians and interstellar agents talked.

"I have the cure," announced the Doctor.

"The alien I hired," said Kielif.

"I see," said the President.

"Give me some," said a politician.

"First my people will check it out," said Kielif, taking the tank. "Alien gifts are dangerous," he added.

An agent read the formula, and declared it safe and effective.

"Internal security" said Kielif to the agent, taking the formula.

"Indeed," said the president. "Guard, arrest that man, Captain of the Guard, Essil Kielif."

"I saved you all!" he said.

"You brought the water," said another politician. A scuffle ensued.

"About this cure," said the President to the Doctor.


	12. Act 5

I am making no profit. I intend no infringement. Mel and Dr Who belong to the BBC.

"So how did you know not to drink?" asked the Doctor.

Mel and he sat in a lovely small dinghy, in a lake, near a swamp, on Aline, visiting.

"I drank," the fisher replied.

"But you have memories," said Mel.

"I sat next to the lake?"

"Keeping his bit alive," added the Doctor.

Mel was startled. "Do you still contain some Vera?" she asked.

"Maybe?" he answered.

"Yes," said the doctor.

"We're friends," said the water monster. "How did you defeat Kielif?" it asked.

"An airborne cure," answered the Doctor.

Leaping fish leapt, shone, and returned into the lake home.


End file.
